Tuesday 2 May 2017 14.45 EDT
First published on Tuesday 2 May 2017 08.35 EDT

It was launched with an exclusive column by the world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, and fittingly, George Osborne used the first edition of the London Evening Standard under his editorship to come out fighting against Theresa May’s government and its plans for Brexit.

Osborne may have been Conservative chancellor until 2016 and a Tory MP for Tatton until he stepped down last month, but he did not hold back in criticising his party and former cabinet colleague in the first leader column of his editorship. In it, Osborne’s Standard attacked the prime minister for an election campaign which offered “little more than a slogan” on an issue – Brexit – which it also described as “an historic mistake”.

From a front page story on the breakdown in talks between May and the European parliament’s chief Brexit coordinator – headlined “Brussels twists knife on Brexit” – to a poll on immigration, Osborne’s first edition will do little to quell rumours that he wants to use London’s freesheet as a platform for his own political agenda. Some see it as a vehicle for future political ambitions, should the Brexit strategy being pursued by the prime minister who sacked him as chancellor go wrong.

The first edition of the London Evening Standard edited by Osborne. Photograph: Evening Standard

Tuesday’s leader – which Osborne is understood to have overseen rather than written personally – also criticised “the failure of a desperately weak Labour leadership to offer a proper opposition”. The Standard, which has a history of support for the Conservatives, would hold the powerful to account “without fear or favour”, the editorial added.

Osborne’s first job of the day – also his first role in news journalism – was to lead the paper’s 8am news conference. The new editor is understood to have been instrumental in choosing the front page splash, written by veteran political editor Joe Murphy, which reported that the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, “openly mocked” May after a dinner to discuss the deal.

Ahead of Tuesday’s edition, those close to Osborne had stressed he would be cautious to start with. “There won’t be any “May is Crap” front pages, but the paper will interrogate the decision to leave. A lot,” said one former associate.

The masthead boasted of the poaching of the political cartoonist Christian Adams, lured from the Daily Telegraph, with an unflattering cartoon of May. In a new slot on the page facing the editorial, the cartoonist promised an “acerbic view” of the 8 June election. His opening effort showed the prime minister barking her election slogan “strong and stable” in place of the bongs of Big Ben, but was equally unflattering about the other party leaders.

George Osborne (@George_Osborne)

Excited about first day in new job @EveningStandard. Without fear or favour we'll provide the facts & analysis - and entertain along the way

Osborne tweeted that he was excited about his first day in the job, later posting images of his first splash and comment pages; soon after publication, “Evening Standard” was trending on Twitter.

The reaction from readers and commentators was more mixed, however. The BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, tweeted: “Irony alert – George Osborne’s first editorial in Standard warns govt against only repeating slogans, and asking for a ‘blank cheque’.”

Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak)

Irony alert - George Osborne's first editorial in Standard warns govt against only repeating slogans, and asking for a 'blank cheque'

The front page was not all politics. Alongside Murphy’s story was a picture of the model Cara Delevingne at New York’s Met Gala, prompting one Standard insider to comment: “Nothing has changed – Cara is still on the front page.” Further fashion pictures from the gala filled pages two and three.

Politics may have dominated the news pages, but there was no space for a story about the advisory committee for business appointments, the body that advises ex-ministers on what jobs they should or should not accept, criticising Osborne for taking his new job before receiving their advice.

Although May’s snap election forced Osborne to choose between his safe Tatton seat and his new role as editor, there are already signs that he is determined to use the job to focus on several topics he pursued as chancellor. The comment section included a piece by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg launching a war on London’s “killer pollution” and a piece by Garden Bridge designer Thomas Heatherwick in praise of the scheme recently scuppered by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan.

Inside the office, at least, it felt like a relatively slow news day. With a smaller post-bank holiday edition of 56 pages, long-serving employees remarked that the Osborne newsroom was “eerily quiet – no one was swearing”.

Outside the Kensington offices the Standard shares with the Daily Mail, however, things were notably noisier, with black-cab drivers holding a protest following reports that Osborne and the previous government had intervened to stop the then mayor, Boris Johnson, imposing stricter controls on rival car service Uber.